This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 from an application entitled PBX System for Interworking Digital Telephone With Personal Computer And Controlling Method Thereof earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Dec. 24, 1998 and there duly assigned Ser. No. 58352/1998, a copy of which is annexed hereto.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a private branch exchange (PBX) system, and more particularly to a private branch exchange system for enabling a digital telephone to work with a computer in an integrated manner, and a controlling method therefore.
2. Related Art
A private branch exchange system can be provided on the premises of a public office, hospital, or company to make a connection between a central office (CO) line and extension subscriber or between extension subscribers. A private exchange system refers to a small exchange for switching a plurality of extension terminals within the same building or the same office, including a key phone system, a private branch exchange, and a private branch automatic exchange (PBAX).
I have found that there is a need for an improved method of integrating a computer system with a digital telephone in conjunction with a private branch exchange to enable them to work together in an integrated manner. Computer systems are information handling systems that are utilized by many individuals and businesses today. A computer system can be defined as a microcomputer that includes a central processing unit (CPU), a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory such as read only memory (ROM), a display monitor, a keyboard, a mouse or other input device such as a trackball, a floppy diskette drive, a compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM) drive, a modem, a hard disk storage device, and a printer. A computer system""s main board, which is a printed circuit board known as a motherboard, is used to electrically connect these components together. A computer system can be a desktop computer, a personal computer, a portable computer such as a notebook computer or palm-sized computer, or other type of computer.
Efforts have been made to improve connections between computers and telephone-related systems. Exemplars of recent efforts in the art include U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,234 for Computer Integrated PBX System, issued to Clayton et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,068 for Smart Phone Integration with Computer Systems, issued to Kikinis et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,425 for Telephone Connection Arrangement for a Personal Computer and a Device for Such an Arrangement, issued to Lecomte et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. Re. 35,050 for Personal Computer-As an Interface Between a Telephone Station Set and a Business Communication System, issued to Gibbs et al.
While these recent efforts provide advantages, I note that they fail to adequately provide a private branch exchange system for efficiently and conveniently enabling a digital telephone to work with a computer in an integrated manner, and a method for controlling the private branch exchange system.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a private branch exchange system for enabling a digital telephone to work with a computer in an integrated manner.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method of controlling a private branch exchange enabling a digital telephone to work with a computer, such as a personal computer (PC), in an integrated manner.
To achieve the above objects and others, there is provided a private branch exchange system for interworking a digital telephone with a computer. In other words, there is provided a private branch exchange system enabling a digital telephone to work with a computer in an integrated manner.
In the private branch exchange system, a switch has a subscriber interface, a computer telephony interface module is connected to the subscriber interface of the switch, the digital telephone is connected to the switch through the computer telephony interface module, and the computer is connected to the switch through the computer telephony interface module and interworks with the digital telephone. The computer telephony interface module sends a computer-directed message generated from the switch to the computer and sends both the switch and the computer a call origination event message received from the digital telephone.
To achieve these and other objects in accordance with the principles of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a communication apparatus, comprising: a switch having a connector; an interface unit being connected to said connector of said switch; at least one telephone unit being connected to said interface unit; and at least one computer unit being connected to said interface unit; said interface unit transmitting a first message generated from said switch to said at least one computer unit, said interface unit transmitting a second message received from said at least one telephone unit to said switch and said at least one computer unit, said first message corresponding to a computer-directed message, said second message corresponding to a call origination event.
To achieve these and other objects in accordance with the principles of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a communication apparatus, comprising: a private branch exchange system comprising: a switch having a connector; an interface unit being connected to said connector of said switch; at least one digital telephone unit being connected to said interface unit; and at least one computer unit being connected to said interface unit; said interface unit transmitting a first message generated from said switch to said at least one computer unit, said interface unit transmitting a second message received from said at least one telephone unit to said switch and said at least one computer unit, said interface unit transmitting a third message generated from said computer unit to said switch, said interface unit transmitting a fourth message generated from said switch to said at least one telephone unit and to said at least one computer unit, said first message corresponding to a computer-directed message, said second message corresponding to a call origination event, said third message corresponding to a call-related event, said fourth message corresponding to a response message in accordance with said call-related event.
To achieve these and other objects in accordance with the principles of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a method, comprising: interconnecting a digital telephone and a computer unit in a private branch exchange system having an interface unit connecting the digital telephone to the computer unit, said interconnecting further comprising: when an incoming call is terminated in said digital telephone, sending information about the incoming call to said computer unit; and when said computer unit originates a call, setting said digital telephone to a call origination state.
The present invention is more specifically described in the following paragraphs by reference to the drawings attached only by way of example. Other advantages and features will become apparent from the following description and from the claims.